NEW WAYS OF FOOD PRESERVING

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 55, 4 February 1953, Page 6

NEW WAYS OF FOOD PRESERVING

BY

RADIO

ACTIYITY

Scientists, attempting to find practical uses for wastes from atomic energy plants, have discovered that these by-pboducts effectively sterilize some foods and other perishable materials. This has been demonstrated by experiments at the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor and at Leland Stanford University in the western State of California. By exposing food to rays from radioactive materials, the scientists killed germs that cause foods to spoil. They accomplished this without applying heat, which may also destroy some of the nutrients or change the flavour of the food. In these studies, the food is first packaged and sealed and then exposed to jadioactive materials in a shielded space. The food itself does not become radioactive because the beta and gamma rays from the radioactive materials cannot induee radioaetivity. After irradiation, no germs from the outside can get into the sealed foods. Thus, some foods that now require refrigeration after packaging could be stored at ordinary roorn temperatures, the scientists explain. Mllk samples were irradiated up to 40 hours. After three weeks of storage at room temperature, examination showed that the high bacteria count of the inilk had been reduced to zero by the bacteria-killing rays. Samples of noniiTadiated nxilk, also sealed in plastic bags and kept under the same eonditions, soured within one day. Non-irracliated meat samples began to putrefy after two days at room temperature. Howg " oi , samples exposed to gamma iays from the cobalt cylinder rernained lice oi surface changes and put- ! rid odor three weeks after being irradiated. Similar experiments with | yaiious fruits, vegetables, and fruit, juices were less striking. Not yet ! established whether atomic radiation affects the nutritional value and ! flavour of foods. -